Language Is Symbolic

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What comes to mind when you see the word cat? A furry childhood best friend? Fits of sneezing from allergies? Either way, the word evokes a response because it is a symbol, a sign representing a person, an idea, or a thing. Words in each language evoke particular responses because speakers of that language agree that they do. Thus, we can use words to communicate ideas and thoughts about particular subjects. Moreover, using words as symbols is a uniquely human ability (Wade, 2010).